Lawsuit: Woman claims she fell victim to tangle of computer cables

By Jason SchreiberUnion Leader CorrespondentAugust 26. 2013 10:06PMBRENTWOOD — A Fremont woman who claims she fell after getting tangled up in a mess of computer wires and cords under her work station at a Manchester bank is now suing Hewlett-Packard.

According to the suit in Rockingham County Superior Court, Linda Iacozzi says her August 2010 injuries were the result of how a Hewlett-Packard worker installed the computer equipment at Bank of America on Elm Street. The suit said the bank contracted with the California-based computer maker to install, maintain and repair its computers.

"The manner in which the computers were installed at individual work stations, including Ms. Iacozzi's, created a jumble of cords and wires hanging below the work station," the suit said.

The suit said a representative from Hewlett-Packard serviced Iacozzi's work station during the summer of 2010.

"Consequently, he was aware of the situation regarding the cords and wires hanging under her work station," the suit said.

According to the suit, Iacozzi's leg became entangled in the wires and cords, tripping her.

The suit said she was seriously injured in the fall and taken to Manchester's Elliot Hospital, where she was treated for a "serious" fracture and an elbow injury.

"Ms. Iacozzi was severely injured from what would otherwise be perceived as a minor thing. She suffered very significant injuries," said her attorney, John F. Bisson of the Manchester law firm Cronin, Bisson & Zalinsky P.C.

In the weeks that followed the accident, the suit said, Iacozzi was unable to care for herself and required significant assistance and pain management while she struggled to recover.

Iacozzi began receiving physical therapy a month later and returned to work in November 2010. The suit claims she was "permanently injured."

Iacozzi was 64 at the time of the fall and in good health, the suit said.

The suit accuses Hewlett-Packard of negligence for failing to "install the required cords, wires and cables in a reasonable manner."

Hewlett-Packard spokesman Sarah Pompei said the company does not comment on pending litigation.

Computer-related injuries have been on the rise over the last several years, according to a study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2009.

In that study, researchers found a sharp increase in injuries caused by tripping over computer equipment, and head injuries due to computer monitor falls and other physical incidents.

Statistics from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database showed more than 78,000 patients seeking emergency-room care for acute computer-related injuries between 1994 and 2006.

Children under 5 and adults over 60 were injured most often by tripping or falling over computer equipment, the study found.